Aid for Putting on Pants

ABSTRACT

A device that aids a human being to put on pants is disclosed. The aid or guide for putting on pants possesses a bow-shaped frame with an attached handle. The user puts his or her legs into the pants holes spread out by the bow-frame, pulls the pants upward with the handle, grabs the waistline of the pants and then fastens the waistline about the user&#39;s waist.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention fits into the general category of hand tools. More specifically, this invention is a hand tool which helps a person to put on pants, trousers or shorts. Hence, this invention is an aid for putting on pants, trousers, or shorts.

People who are neuromuscularly disabled because of disease, physical injury, or old age, often have trouble getting dressed by themselves. Putting on pants can be a problem because to put on pants, the opening for the legs must be held open while the subject person inserts his or her legs into the leg openings. This can be difficult with subjects who lack the proper coordination or strength in both their hands, wrists, arms and legs. At least two hands are required to put on pants and there still can be problems in doing so.

Thus, it would be useful to have a lightweight guide or aid that could be held with one hand and which kept open the holes in the pants into which the uses legs are to be inserted. The invention described herein does just that. It is a lightweight frame which keeps the open leg holes of the pants and which has a handle attached to the frame so that the device can be held with one hand while the user is inserting his or her legs into the pants.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is comprised of a bow-shaped frame in which the bow is formed by two curved wings that are attached to a rectangular base and which can be extended from the base to a greater or lesser extent to provide for use with pants that have larger or smaller waists. To the rectangular base of the frame is attached a handle assembly so that the device can be held with one hand. The angle between the bow aped frame and the handle assembly is adjustable because the handle assembly is connected to the rectangular base of the bow-frame by two pivotable cylindrical cogs on the handle assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention, an aid for putting on pants, is shown in the two accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top close up view of the T-shaped intersection of the bow-fame and the handle assembly of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Looking now at FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of the invention simultaneously, it can be seen that this aid for putting on pants 11 has a T-shaped intersection 12. T-shaped intersection 12 is comprised of hollow rectangular top 13 into which a inserted two curved wings 17 and 18 that form the bow shape of the aid 1, and the handle assembly 43 that form the stem of the T-shaped aid. The wing 17 possesses two mushroom-shaped pep 21 and 22, and it also possesses six triangular perforations 19. Likewise, the wing 1 possesses two mushroom-shaped pegs 23 and 24, and it also possesses six triangular perforations 20.

The interior end of the wing 17 fits into the hollow rectangular base 13 which has a rectangular sleeve 32 through which a threaded bolt 34 is inserted and held in place with a nut. The bolt 34 resides in a slot hole 36 of the wing 17. The wing 17 is held at a set position with respect to the base 13 by saw teeth 38 of the wing 17 and a ratchet 40 which is rigidly attached to the sleeve 32. The wing 17 can be adjusted to varying extent into or out of the base 13 by setting the ratchet 40 between different sets of saw teeth 38.

Likewise, the interior end of the wing 18 fits into the hollow rectangular base 13 which has a rectangular sleeve 33 through which a threaded bolt 35 is inserted and held in place with a nut. The bolt 35 resides in a slot hole 37 of the wing 18. The wing is held at a set position with respect to the base 13 by saw teeth 39 of the wing 18 and a ratchet 41 which is rigidly attached to the sleeve 33. The wing 18 can be adjusted to varying extent into or out of the base 13 by setting the ratchet 41 between different sets of saw teeth 39.

The rectangular base 13 possesses a rigidly attached top ledge 30.

The handle assembly 43 of this invention 11 is comprised of a knob 16, rigidly connected to a rod 15 which is rigidly connected to a base 14 which is rigidly connected to a base joint 25. The base joint 25 is rotatably connected to two rectangular protrusions 28 and 29 which protrusions are rigidly connected to the rectangular base 13 that forms the top of the T-intersection 12 of the invention. The handle assembly base joint 25 is held between the protrusions 28 and 29 by virtue of two cylindrical cogs 26 and 27 that fit into two holes within the two protrusions 28 and 29 in such a manner that the handle assembly joint 25 and base 14 are able to rotate 90 degrees from the plane of the wings 17 and 18 to a position perpendicular to the plane of the wings 17 and 18. When the handle base 14 and handle base joint 25 are in the coplanar position, the bottom of the handle base 14 rests on the top of a tongue 31 rigidly attached to the rectangular base 13. When the handle base 14 and handle base joint 25 are in the perpendicular position, the forward end 42 of the base joint 25 rests on the top surface of the rectangular base 13.

The handle assembly base 14 and the handle assembly rod 15 are rigidly attached to each other at a 30 degree angle.

The way that this aid for putting an pants 11 works is as follows: The width of the bow-shape of the invention 11 can be adjusted by pulling outward the two wings 17 and 18 to the desired width where the saw teeth 38 and 39 of the wings are locked into place by the ratchets 40 and 41. Then the subject pants, trousers, or shorts are secured by the waist of the subject garment onto the outer edges of the wings 17 and 18.

The angle of the handle assembly 43 with respect to the plane of the wings 17 and 18, is self-adjusting, due to the rotatability of the handle base joint 25 with respect to the protrusions 28 and 29 of the rectangular base 13, by virtue of the cogs 26 and 27 that fit into holes within the protrusions 28 and 29.

The aid 11 for putting on parts can be operated by the user in a sitting or in a standing position. Once the operator has partially gotten his or her legs into the openings of the pants and the waistline of the pants can be reached by the operator's hand or hands, the aid 11 is removed from the pants, the pants are pulled completely onto the operator and the waistline of the pants are fastened about the waist of the operator.

Alternately, the pants can be initially spread open by placing the wings 17 and 18 and/or the wing pegs 21, 22, 23, and 24 though belt loops of the pants, and then the procedure is the same as above.

When donning pants, trousers, or shorts with a front zipper opening, the aid 11 can be used by positioning the handle base 14 through the zipper opening with the waist of the pants fastened in its front and then the procedure is the same as above.

In the best mode of practice of this invention 11 known to the inventor, the aid it is comprised of hard plastic polypropylene except for the bolts 34 and 35 and their nuts, which are made of metal. The rectangular base 13, the top tab 30, the protrusions 28, 29, and the tongue 31, are all comprised of a solid piece of hard plastic by extrusion mold. The rectangular sleeve 32 and the attached ratchet 40 are comprised of a solid piece of hard plastic. The rectangular sleeve 33 and the attached ratchet 41 are comprised of a solid piece of hard plastic. The wing 17 is comprised of a solid piece of hard plastic. The wing 18 is comprised of a solid piece of hard plastic. The pegs 21,22, 23, and 24, are comprised of separate pieces of hard plastic which are rigidly inserted into holes in the two wings 17 and 18. Finally, the handle assembly comprising the base joint 25, the base 14, the rod 15, and the knob 16 are all comprised from a solid piece of hard plastic.

It is clear that this aid 11 for putting on pants depicted her can be made of any suitable durable hard material and that dimensions and various angles of the invention's parts can be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An aid for putting on pants comprising a bow-shaped guide of two curved wings joined together at the top of a T-intersection with an attached handle as the stem of the said intersection.
 2. An aid for putting on pants comprising a bow-shaped guide of two curved wings joined together with an adjustable wingspan at the top of a T-intersection with an attached handle as the stem of the said T-intersection.
 3. An aid for putting on pants comprising a bow-shaped guide of two curved wings joined together with an adjustable wingspan at the top of a t-intersection with an attached rotatable handle as the stem of the said T-intersection.
 4. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 1 wherein the wings have pegs.
 5. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 2 wherein the wings have pegs.
 6. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 3 wherein the wings have pegs.
 7. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 1 wherein the wings possess saw teeth which are held to the top of the T-intersection by ratchets on the top arms of the T-intersection.
 8. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 2 wherein the wings possess saw teeth which are held to the top if the T-intersection by ratchets on the top arms of the T-intersection.
 9. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 3 wherein the wings possess saw teeth which are held to the top of the T-intersection by ratchets the top arms of the T-intersection.
 10. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 4 wherein the wings possess saw teeth which are held to the top of the T-intersection by ratchets on the top arms of the T-intersection.
 11. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 5 wherein the wings possess saw teeth which are held to the top of the T-intersection by ratchets on the top arm of the T-intersection.
 12. An aid for putting on pants as described in claim 6 wherein the wing possess saw teeth which are held to the top of the T-intersection by ratchets on the top arms of the T-intersection. 